Water Conservation Rebate Program

As I explore the newly revised Town of Franklin webpages, I am finding some interesting stuff. I remember hearing at a Town Council meeting that this was coming but then never heard that it was here. Oh well, better late than never!

residential use of water

Did you know the average Franklin family spends $800 per year in water and sewer costs?  

But you can save over $200 annually by upgrading your home with WaterSense® labeled products and ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances. 

Toilets and clothes washers account for approximately 45% of water used inside your home. So the Town of Franklin would like to help you on your way to saving money by providing a rebate for replacing those old water hog toilets and clothes washers with new high efficiency models!

Rain Barrel Rebates Now Available!!  Rain barrels are yet another way to save money while saving water!  Rain barrels collect rain water from you home's downnspouts and hold it for use to water your lawns, flowers and gardens. Just 1/4 inch of rainfall on a typical roof will fill 50 gallon rain barrel.  A full rain barrel can water a 200 square foot garden. Learn more about rain barrels here!

A rebate of $50 is available for each toilet and clothes washer replaced (limit two toilets and one washer per household) and each rain barrel installed (limit two per household), for a total rebate of up to $250!  In addition, the Town will waive the disposal fee for your old toilet or washer at the Franklin Recycling Center, for an additional savings of $15 per item!

How to get your Rebate!

1. Toilets: Check the EPA WaterSense Water Efficient Product List for qualifying toilet.  Choose "Tank-Type Toilets" under Product Category and hit Search to see all qualifying toilets or select your specific Brand Name and Model Name and hit Search.

  Washers: Check the List of Energy Star Certified Washers for qualifying washers.  Select any washer with an Integrated Water Factor (IWF) of 3.7 or less.

  Rain Barrels: Rain barrel must have a minimum capacity of 50 gallons, and can be found at your local hardware store.

2. Purchase and install a qualifying toilet, clothes washer or rain barrel on or after June 1, 2016.
3. Fill in the Rebate Application (attachments at bottom of this page) and submit to DPW within 90 days of purchase.  Applicant must be the owner of the property and a Water Department account holder in good standing.
4. If approved, a check and voucher to dispose of the old washer and/or toilet(s) at the Franklin Recycling Center will be sent right to your home!
5. See the Rebate Applications (attachments at bottom of this page) for the full listing of rebate rules.

Water Sense

You’ll save more than just money!

• High efficiency clothes washers use up to 55% less water than standard washers. 
• By replacing old, inefficient toilets with WaterSense labeled models, the average family can reduce water used for toilets by 20 to 60 percent—that's nearly 13,000 gallons of water savings every year!
• High efficiency washers also use less overall energy so cost savings may be seen on both your water/sewer and electricity bills!

The rebate forms can be found on the TOF page from which this was shared

http://www.franklinma.gov/public-works/news/water-conservation-rebates-now-available

Franklin, MA: Town Council - Agenda - Nov 16, 2016

With the new Town of Franklin webpage, you can follow the individual links (below) for the detail documents behind each of the agenda items or find the full PDF document here:





or on the Town of Franklin page here
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/agendas/november_16_council_agenda_0.pdf

Agenda Item	Summary
Town Council Agenda - November 16, 2016
A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS	Citizens are welcome to express their views for up to five minutes on a matter that is not on the Agenda. The council will not engage in a dialogue or comment on a matter raised during Citizen Comments. The Town Council will give remarks appropriate consideration and may ask the Town Administrator to review the matter.
E. APPOINTMENTS	Appointments to Cultural Council
F. HEARINGS
G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
H. PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS
I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS
J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION	(follow the link for details on the several items)
K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT	(provided live during meeting)
L. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS	(provided live during meeting)
M. COUNCIL COMMENTS	(provided live during meeting)
N. EXECUTIVE SESSION	if required
O. ADJOURN
O. Adjourn	Meeting Adjourns

part of the new crossing at Pleasant and Green Sts

MBTA: Franklin Line has returned to normal service (no shuttle buses)

Normal train service has resumed on the Franklin Line, following the completion of bridge work. Shuttle buses are no longer in place.

Last updated: Nov 13 2016 07:04 AM

Franklin MBTA commuter rail at Franklin/Dean Station heading to Forge Park

The MBTA had blocked the full weekend for shuttle service
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/11/reminder-through-sunday-franklin-line.html

FPAC’S THE ADDAMS FAMILY Awarded NETC Moss Hart Awards Honorable Mention

Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) received Honorable Mention recognition from the New England Theatre Conference (NETC) 54th Annual Moss Hart Awards for FPAC’s 2015 production of The Addams Family. Presented at the 65th annual NETC Convention on October 29, the 2016 Moss Hart Awards honored eight productions from across New England. FPAC’s The Addams Family was one of two theatrical productions recognized in the Community Theatre Division. The prestigious awards honor the life of celebrated Broadway playwright, director, and producer Moss Hart. As stated by the NETC, the annual honor “seeks to encourage artistic growth and the highest standards of excellence in theatre.”

FPAC’s The Addams Family

The commendation represents back-to-back honors for FPAC, having been awarded an Honorable Mention last year for Peter Pan, which launched the company’s first season at THE BLACK BOX. FPAC also received an Honorable Mention for West Side Story by the 2004 Moss Hart Awards. FPAC’s devilishly delightful The Addams Family was presented at THE BLACK BOX, FPAC’s home and performance venue in downtown Franklin, as part of the company’s milestone 25th anniversary season. 

FPAC’s The Addams Family - panorama

Founded in 1991, the nonprofit FPAC brings together professional artists, community performers and students of the arts in a collaborative and creative environment. With a special focus on youth development and a commitment to live music, FPAC supports educational arts experiences, quality entertainment and outstanding performance opportunities. For more information, call (508) 528-3370 or visit www.FPAConline.com or www.THEBLACKBOXonline.com.

This was shared from the Franklin Cultural District webpage
http://www.franklinculturaldistrict.org/2016/11/fpacs-addams-family-awarded-netc-moss.html

Franklin Voter Turnout from 2003 - 2016

I updated the chart to show the Franklin voter turnout from 2003 - 2016. I did leave out the primary elections;  including only the major elections.

The updated chart:

• The Presidential elections are shown in light Blue.
• Regular Franklin elections shown in Red
• The three override elections are shown in Yellow
• The State elections are shown in Green

The data that drove the chart can be found here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sqfzWIc7Uv9qQvCbajPEktP4krPSQJ8HwJpi_I84J7c/edit?usp=sharing

" the secret to our success, ... it has a lot to do with the positive thinking"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"The Franklin Downtown Partnership is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, looking back on a period of immense change in the area. 

The partnership will be officially noting the birthday this weekend, with a gala set to take place Saturday night at the Black Box. 

Partnership Executive Director Lisa Piana said the group began with a handful of business owners, who decided to work with the town to revitalize downtown. in 2001. Piana herself joined as director in 2005. 

"In 2005, there were 15 members; now, there are more than 250," she said. "We've really grown as an organization, and we've worked hand-in-hand with the town."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20161111/franklin-partnership-celebrating-its-15th-year

Downtown Franklin is looking good all dressed up for Veterans Day

What has the Downtown Partnership been doing for 15 years?

Some of the achievements are shown in this
http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/2016/08/franklin-downtown-partnership.html

and some are shown in this
http://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/2016/08/what-has-fdp-been-doing-for-15-years.html

Milford Area Chamber of Commerce preps for its 27th Annual Dinner and Auction - Nov 19

Laura O’Callaghan, President of the Milford Area Chamber of Commerce, announced that plans for the Chamber’s 27th Annual fundraising Dinner & Auction are almost complete and the results are exciting. The event returns to the Portuguese Club in Milford for the sixth year on Saturday, November, 19th. Doors open at 6:30 and a limited number of tickets are still available. 

O’Callaghan stated; “Every year since 1989 our community has come together to share an evening of fun, excitement and delicious food to help the Chamber fund the important work it does for the Greater Milford area residents and businesses. The venue and format changed a few years ago and now all the food is generously prepared and donated by local restaurants, caterers and businesses. The array of dishes that are available is an absolute feast and our guests discover new, local places to try as a result. It’s a win/win for everyone.”

http://milfordchamber.org/auction-spectacular/

“The Milford Area Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization that performs vital business referral functions as new residents move into town, assists local small business with training, insurance and benefits information for its employees, advocates for its members at the State House and at the national level and provides dozens of networking activities for its members throughout the year. We are the voice of the business community in Milford and the surrounding nine towns. We cannot survive without the support of our membership and our community and we are grateful for the support we receive as a result”, O’Callaghan added.

This year’s auction will include more than 100 silent auction items; items donated by businesses throughout the area. These include golf foursomes, electronics, home furnishings, wine baskets, toys, autographed sports memorabilia, merchandise and a variety of services and more. There are also more than 30 live auction items that will provide the highlight of the evening, as well as the majority of laughs. 

 “Celebrity Guest Auctioneer” Dick Ferrucci from WMRC radio will resume his yearly position on the gavel and 2016’s lineup of items are among the best the Chamber has ever received. In addition to the African Safari trip the Chamber has successfully auctioned for the past seven years they’ve added a trip to Ireland, airline tickets to anywhere in the USA, sporting event packages, getaways to Maine, Rhode Island and more! The 50/50 raffle winner will also be drawn that evening.

For more information, to purchase tickets, see a complete list of available auction items or even make a donation to the Chamber, visit www.milfordchamber.org, call them at 508.473.6700 or stop by their offices at 258 Main Street, Suite 306.

The Milford Area Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1922 and will mark its 95th year of service in 2017. Its mission is to connect businesses and professionals by bringing them together for a mutually beneficial exchange of ideas, information, products and services. The Chamber advocates for the business community, promotes economic development, and enhances the quality of life throughout the area. The Chamber serves the communities of Bellingham, Franklin, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millis and Upton.